Thinking of You
by Lovely SOS
Summary: It started with a Skype call. It ended in an airport. He'd said he missed her, so he simply went and saw her; no tricks up his sleeve, just the truth. She believed him- she'd missed him too. {Two-shot}
1. Part One: Skype

_A/N_

_So I just wanted to say, this is like my first ever actual just romance story. It's a two-shot, the first half centered around Ian Kabra and the second around Amy Cahill. I hope it's alright, and I'd love it if you reviewed. Watch out for the second half! And thanks for reading :)_

**~Part One: Skype~**

It was 2:45 AM and Ian Kabra was not asleep.

His hotel room was lavish. The walls were a gorgeous shade of deep red, with gold stenciling, and the carpet on the floor was lush burgundy to match the walls. The furniture was off-white with gold trim, and everything had been arranged by a hired professional. Ian lay on the gold comforter of the huge poster bed in the center of the room, and as soft and warm as the bed was, Ian's eyes would not close long enough for him to fall asleep.

The hotel was one of the finest in all of the United Kingdom, and it was Ian and Natalie's temporary home. After the clue hunt, they'd had no home- nowhere to go back to. Nowhere to turn. They had disowned Isabel and she had disowned them; and this cut off most ties from their father, too. The money from Grace Cahill was a pittance compared to what they had once had, but the Kabra siblings were scraping by.

Yes, scraping by in their lovely penthouse suite.

But money problems were not what kept Ian awake.

His room was dark, except for some moonlight spilling through the window. Ian hadn't closed the curtains when he'd retired to bed much earlier- 11:00- and now it only aided to his awake-ness. In the next room over, Ian knew that Natalie was probably sleeping peacefully on a swan-feather-filled pillow. Ian felt a twinge of jealousy; not of her pillow -he had one just like it- but at the fact that she was sleeping and he was not.

Lately, there had just been too much on his mind.

Ian's fingers curled around the edge of the bed comforter. He felt like he needed to hold on to something. He needed to get a good grip on something- anything. His life right now felt worthless and out of his control.

Because the one person plaguing his mind was thousands of miles away.

5 hours, Ian thought. 5 was a significant number at the moment. 5 was the amount of hours ahead Ian's time zone was than the time in Attleboro, Massachusetts. And 5 was the number of hours it would take to get there if he decided to take a plane there.

In reality, 5 hours wasn't too long of a plane ride; he could probably get a private jet and cut the time in half, too. And yet Amy was much, much further away than 5 hours, or 2.5 hours- she was thousands. Like those thousands of miles between them.

Amy Cahill.

Ian's eyes closed, but it was in thought, unfortunately, and not in sleep. He felt like he hadn't slept in so long. But how could he? Thoughts of Amy filled his head and he couldn't sleep at all. And if he did, his dreams were taunting, making Amy seem so close. They were pleasant dreams, usually, but the thing about dreams is that you usually wake up after them. And then... Ian was left to the cruel terms of reality.

Ian was sure of the exact last time he'd seen her, and the exact last thing she'd said to him. He even remembered what she'd been wearing, which might have been strange, but it just stayed there in his head, whether it was a choice of his or not. Exactly now in Attleboro, it would be 9:48 PM.

Ian wanted to hear her voice again. He'd seen her last at Christmas, but he'd been an idiot. He was letting her get away, letting her slip through his grasp. Ha, his grasp. He hardly had a hold on anything...

Ian turned onto his side, facing the wall now and not the moonlit window.

Amy. With her big smile and her lovely laugh and her penchant for reading. Amy with her red-brown hair that reminded him of cinnamon. Amy with those big, wide, innocent green eyes, that were so unusually beautiful, echoed and rimmed with intelligence. The way Amy flushed when she was embarrassed. Amy's heart, which was so amazingly... Kind. How Amy always hid in atrociously plain clothes, because she didn't want to be noticed...

Ian laughed to himself quietly, feeling sick. Amy didn't want to be noticed? She was ALL he ever noticed. All her ever thought about or cared about lately. He'd lost too much sleep.

Suddenly Ian was sure he wouldn't sleep at all if he didn't hear her voice. He missed her terribly, more than he'd really ever missed anything, even the higher life he'd once had. Ian thought strikingly that he always seemed to want what he couldn't have. And that, then, proved something to him. He would always want Amy, because he could never have her.

Ian sat up and slid off of the velvety bed. He crossed the room, his feet soundless, and he grabbed his laptop computer off of a desk. He switched on a light, wincing at the change in lighting. Ian changed his shirt from pajamas to a white button-up. He made sure his hair was perfect.

It always was.

Ian powered up the laptop, his resolve grim and his plan definite: He was going to Skype with Amy, and he didn't give a used teabag if she didn't want to hear him out. She was GOING to, and that was it.

He'd considered calling her, but seeing her would be better. Even through a screen.

Ian pressed the Skype icon on the computer's desktop. He typed in Amy's username, a boring, lowercase version of her actual name. It came up in Ian's contact list. Ian hesitated, his finger wavering over the call button. Would Amy even answer it? Ian felt his tiny, cold heart skip a beat when he saw the green 'online' status. Yes, for Amy, it was only... Ian checked his clock. 9:51.

He pressed the call button.

Ian didn't breath while the mimic of a ringing phone played out through the computer speakers. It rang once. Twice. Three times, four. Ian's heart began to sink in his chest, but then, on the fifth ring, Amy's face was on Ian's monitor.

Ian breathed out slowly. He would talk to Amy now... He would hear her voice now.

Amy looked the same as she always did. Her hair down and kind of in her face, hiding herself away. But her green eyes glinted and she blinked her long eyelashes and gave a hesitant, absolutely beautiful smile.

"Ian?" She said.

Ian realized the option for his camera was off. He could see Amy, but she couldn't see him. He was extremely glad for this, actually, because lord knows what his face must have looked like when she'd finally answered the Skype call and her face had flooded his screen. Ian squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, collecting himself.

He clicked the 'on' option for his camera.

He smiled, even though he didn't exactly feel like it. He had a sort of grim determination, and though seeing Amy made him feel better, it also made him feel worse because of... Reasons. Complicated reasons. Like why he was calling her.

"Hello, Amy." Ian said.

"Uhm, hi." Amy responded. Amy shifted a little, and Ian caught sight of her shirt collar. It was a blue t-shirt she was wearing, then. It looked beat up. It was the same kind of thing she always wore. Amy frowned suddenly in the slight conversation lapse. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no," Ian assured her. Amy's eyes widened.

"Then why are you calling? It must be so late for you!" Amy glanced off screen. "It must be about... 3 AM for you." Amy was already beginning to blush. Hah, Ian thought. So she has the time distance memorized, too. Still, her blushing probably meant nothing. It was just Ian's good looks. It really didn't have to do with her actually liking him because... There was no way that that would ever happen.

Not after he'd done so many rotten things to her.

Ian sighed, and said rather truthfully, "I couldn't sleep."

This answer seemed to confuse Amy immensely. "Did you try... Drinking a glass of warm milk? That's supposed to help, right?" Ian actually laughed.

"I don't need warm milk, Amy. This isn't the second grade." Ian's eyes glinted in the dim light of his room lamp. "I wanted to talk to someone. More specifically, I wanted to talk to you." Ian paused, waiting for a reaction. Inside, he winced, wondering why he had to push this. No, he thought, I know why. Because if I don't do this, then I'll never be able to stop thinking about Amy. And thus, I'll never sleep...

Ian was tired of hanging around and having his days (and nights) ruined by a deep sense of missing someone- missing Amy Cahill. She was there on his screen now, but it wasn't the same as seeing her in person. Now he regretted using video to see her, because it made it hurt more. Maybe that's good, Ian thought fiercely. If I have to do this, might as well make it hurt. It'll be more realistic that way.

He was of course referring to the fact that once he made his feelings clear, Amy would make her's clear. More clear than they already were. Ian imagined it would go somewhat on the course of him saying he missed her and that... Well, he really liked her. A lot. And then Amy would probably politely tell him that she hated him and she always would.

"A-about what?" Amy asked, her words faltering. How cute, Ian thought. She looks nervous.

"Things." Ian said cryptically. This really didn't get them anywhere else in their conversation, so, rolling his eyes, he added, "I have something rather... Important to tell you."

Amy frowned. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

Yes, there is something wrong, Ian thought. You're a thousand miles away and you most likely hate me. But aloud, he said, "I'm sure." There was yet another pause as he decided how to phrase what would ruin him. He tapped his fingers thoughtfully against his leg. "You know," He said with a frown of his own, "What I set out to tell you isn't particularly easy to say." Amy looked so worried when he said that. I'm making it worse, Ian thought grimly. I'm dragging it out. He sighed. "You know how I said I couldn't sleep?"

Amy's face looked slightly grainy on the screen. She looked confused and worried at once, now. And, of course, pixel-y. "Y-yes?" Amy said, and this time, Ian couldn't tell if the connection was failing or if she'd really stuttered. Internally he cursed the connection.

"I can't sleep," Ian said, rather bluntly, "Because I miss you."

The way he said it was similar to a way you might have expected Ian to say, "There's gum on the bottom of my shoe" or "Dan Cahill put an inordinate amount of pepper in my soup at the family dinner" or even just plain "Dan Cahill".

The screen, which was growing ever-more pixel-y, froze for a minute, and Ian's heart nearly stopped as he waited for the connection to right itself. He tapped the screen, as if that might help; "Amy?" He asked.

"I'm here." Amy responded. The camera on her end seemed to be going dark, and this time Ian knew for sure that it was the connection that chopped up Amy's voice and that it wasn't her stutter, which was, somehow, disappointing. There was a scrabbling noise, and the camera came back on, perfectly this time. Ian felt tense as it did, awaiting a real reaction from Amy. She was just sitting there.

Ian's intense eyes narrowed slightly. "You did hear what I said?" He prompted.

Amy laughed, and the laugh was sort of musical and delicate. But when Amy spoke, her words stung. "I heard you, Ian. I just don't know what you mean. Is this one of your... Games? Is this an angle of yours?"

Games. An angle. Like in Korea?

"No, Amy." A tiny bit of emotion slipped into Ian's voice. It was just unavoidable now. "I do mean it." He paused, and then repeated himself, as if this might help it sink into Amy's mind. Maybe this way she'd believe him. "I can't sleep because I miss you." He waited to feel the benefits of what he'd done; he waited to feel accomplished or like a weight had been lifted, but he felt the same. Or maybe a speck worse. Because he must have been an idiot: A sleep deprived idiot to believe that this could change anything, even something as minor as helping him fall back to sleep at night.

But this time around, Amy was derailed, and he could see it. Her mouth opened but no words came out, and she deftly shut it, looking like she was searching for something to say. Her cinnamon red-brown hair was falling into her eyes, and she made no attempt to move it away.

"W-w-why?" She managed finally, and every time she stuttered, it made another knot in Ian's stomach.

"Do you REALLY want me to say why?" Ian asked. Wasn't it enough that he'd admitted to missing her? Amy looked so confused. Ian winced. She really, really didn't see it? God. The 'Most Humble Person That Ever Lived' award must go to Amy Cahill.

"Yes?" Amy said quietly from the other end.

Ian's fingers drummed the top of the keyboard on his laptop. "Of course you do." Ian reflected. He suddenly wished quite madly that he could undo this entire thing. But he couldn't and he had to do something about it now that it was already in action. He had to stop the boulder from reaching the bottom of the hill, stop it from going... Too far. And he would. "Well I really don't see why I have to say it." Ian said aloud, a slightly crabby tone creeping into his voice. "I thought it'd be obvious. I just miss YOU, Amy. Really. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes?" Amy said again, still in question. She tried to say something else. "I mean, I j-just... I don't..."

This conversation was in no way relaxing at all. It wasn't helping anything. Instead, every word Amy said hurt like a new cut.

"I do miss you, Amy. Have you ever missed someone? Enough to lose sleep over them?" Ian said. His voice sounded oddly rough and not at all as suave as it usually was. Amy's eyes were wider than the moon.

"I d-don't know."

There was a pause, and Ian heard the faint sounds of rain beginning to fall outside.

"I'll come see you soon." Ian said suddenly. "When I can."

The rain picked up a little and it was getting louder. The lights in the room flickered, and Ian frowned. What kind of a five star hotel was this? It had better not lose electricity... Ian sighed. If it did, it would be just another add-on to his list of Things That Were Going Wrong.

"Ian?" Amy said.

"Yes?" Ian murmured, partly distracted by the rain and the lights in the room.

"I... Miss you too."

Ian's eyes met Amy's but he felt a prick like a pin in his heart that it was only through a screen. Her words rang through his head: I miss you too, she'd said. And on-screen Amy was smiling a shy, sad kind of smile. Ian felt his heart skip a beat, and the internet connection decided at that moment to flicker like the lights in the room. A pixel-picture of Amy froze on the monitor. Ian's face took on a mirrored image of Amy's sad smile.

"I'm glad to hear that." Ian said.

The Skype call disconnected.

Ian sat in front of his laptop for 5 straight minutes, not even daring to move a muscle. But he knew Amy wouldn't call him back, and he wouldn't call her back, so he finally shut the laptop, returned it to its desk, turned off the flickering lights, and stretched out on the bed once more, feeling somehow quite exhausted.

I... Miss you too.

Ian felt his eyes closing for what felt like the first time in ages. The soft sound of rain was actually more soothing than anything, and as his eyelids slid closed, Ian breathed a deep breath. Amy knew he missed her. And with that sad look on her face, she'd said she missed him back. And really, really surprisingly, he believed her when she said that.

Ian fell asleep, and for once, he didn't wake up until the sun was streaming through his bedroom windows.

**~To Be Continued~ **


	2. Part Two: Airport

_A/N_

_Hey guys! I spent a lot of time on this, which is why it took a bit to write. (Sorry for the wait!) I hope you like it, and I hope you review, because I DID put time into it :) Thank you guys so much, you're all awesome. Yeah, so I REALLY hope you like this!_

**~Part Two: Airport~**

Amy Cahill sat on a bench at the airport, swinging her legs back and forth nervously.

The tiled floor beneath her sneakers was spotless white, so much so that Amy had almost felt bad when she'd come in walking on it, almost afraid that she'd leave footprints marring its stark whiteness. From where Amy sat on her bench, she had a view of the tarmac runway outside through big, clear windows, where planes would every so often lift off or land.

She was waiting for Ian Kabra.

The text had come early in the morning to Amy's phone. It was from Ian, and it said that he was coming and he would be there at 10:30 AM, Attleboro, Massachusetts time. Amy's eyes widened when she saw it; she texted a reply that said she and Dan would meet him there.

But Amy sat alone, swinging her legs and waiting. It seemed Ian and Amy had both lied to each other- well, not exactly, but their truths had turned over nonetheless. Ian's flight was late, and Dan had a cold and hadn't wanted to go to the airport to pick up a Cobra, anyway. Amy sighed at the thought. Sure, Dan was annoying. But she would have preferred him to be there with her, rather than her facing Ian alone. (Nellie had driven her, but opted to stay in the car and listen to music. Amy was working herself up so much that she almost felt like calling Nellie to come in and wait with her.)

She hadn't seen Ian since Christmas, unless you were counting that Skype call, and she was dwelling on the thought of what might happen when she saw him... Gosh. That Skype call. Amy's stomach turned at the very thought of it- it had only been two nights ago.

Amy had been sitting in her room and humming a song while typing a research report, and then suddenly, the little Skype icon on her desktop was glowing and making noises. Amy had frowned slightly and clicked, to see who might be calling. It really wasn't often that she used Skype.

Amy had stared at the name of the person calling her long enough for the mimicked phone call sounds to ring five times.

When she'd seen that it was Ian, she'd just... Frozen.

But now Amy was here, at the airport, waiting for him. That very same person who'd called her on Skype.

He'd missed her, he said. When he'd said that... A burst of feelings bloomed inside of Amy. She'd missed him too, she realized. And she'd said so, too. Out loud. But still, Amy hadn't expected to see him so soon after that little exchange. Heavy blush spread across Amy's cheeks just thinking about it. Whatever it was between her and Ian... Well... It... Was really, really complicated.

Amy sighed.

She HAD accused him of just trying an angle. But he'd been so surprisingly sincere that it was truly hard for Amy to imagine that he was lying. He was a Lucian, not a Janus actor.

Even if he was quite a sly liar sometimes.

Then Amy saw him from where she sat on the bench, and she felt terrifying sensation inside of her, like her heart was bursting inside of her chest.

Ian Kabra was looking rather taxed and impatient, stuck behind a mob of young girls and their mothers, who appeared to be meeting up with a group of more young girls and mothers. There were tons of happy yells as the two groups of people merged, hugging each other and calling out names. Amy saw Ian scowl, trying to push through them- he had a single suitcase, nothing more, being pulled along by a handle in his grasp.

He wasn't so far away, but he hadn't spotted Amy yet; Amy could see bags under his eyes, and his shirt was a bit wrinkled. Surprising, Amy thought, actually quite shocked. I've never seen him like that before... She began to blush again, though, when she realized that she honestly didn't find him any less attractive then she normally did, despite his slightly rumpled appearance. Should I call out his name? Amy thought- she felt like she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. Just at the sight of Ian she felt so unnerved and un-confident.

Amy had just worked up the courage to call his name when his eyes found hers.

They stared for a moment.

Ian mercilessly shouldered past a large woman, who nearly toppled over onto her teenage daughter. He walked hastily, and quite with a purpose, Amy thought, his rolling suitcase being dragged behind him. The wheels on the suitcase made cattery sound against the spotless floor. He stopped abruptly about 5 feet in front of Amy.

"Amy." He said.

Amy shot upwards, feeling like she should stand to greet him. "Hello," Amy said, and she even gave an awkward little wave, her nervousness building. Ian stared at her, and Amy's stomach knotted up inside. No need to be so nervous, Amy thought to herself. It's only Ian...

"Where's Dan?" Ian asked immediately. His eyes scanned the nearby perimeter, as if Dan might suddenly pop out of nowhere and start chucking water balloons, with Ian as his intended target. Amy's hand automatically went to the hem of her shirt, picking at it nervously. A new habit she'd acquired.

"He's not here," Amy said apologetically, even though Ian would probably be glad.

"And your au pair?"

Amy didn't bother correcting Ian that Nellie was her legal guardian now, and not her au pair. (Or babysitter.) "In the car." Amy said. Yet again she wondered why she had to be here alone- she was becoming more uncomfortable with every passing second. Don't sweat it! She thought, berating herself, but nerves made her feel shy anyway. "Is Natalie here?" Amy asked. Ian hadn't said she would be, but she felt somehow obligated to ask.

Ian shook his head. "No, just me."

There was a crushing moment of quiet. Great, Amy thought. Already lapses and he just got here. Amy cleared her throat. She wanted to ask why he'd come at all; but she was afraid of what the answer might be. On Skype... He'd SAID he'd try to visit soon. Because he missed her? Amy was doubting what he'd even meant by that. She chewed the inside of her mouth, feeling anticipation- whatever the reason Ian was there, she wanted to know and she would have liked for him to hurry up and get on with it, for the sake of her anxiety. "Why are you here?" Amy burst quite suddenly. Already, her cheeks began to turn slightly pink. "I m-mean- it's not bad news or anything, r-right?"

Ian smiled ever so slightly and sat down on the bench. Amy realized about half a second later that she should sit down, too, so she did. "I already told you over Skype," Ian said. "And that would be a no- again- about the bad news. Has anyone ever told you that you worry far too much?" He regarded her skeptically, and Amy began to swing her feet again, as she'd done before he got there.

"I've been told that," She admitted, the first part of what he'd said not really registering. She wondered if she should suggest they go to the car. Nellie WAS waiting for them, after all... Even though she probably wouldn't really notice how much time had passed when she had her iPod on like Amy knew she did while she waited.

Wait, Ian had said he'd told her over Skype. So that was why he was here? Really? Because he said that he missed her?

It must have been true, what he'd said about losing sleep. Maybe he had. He looked tired. That would explain the lines under his eyes and the less-than-perfect shirt. But it just didn't add up in Amy's head, HIM missing HER seeming incomprehensible.

He missed ME? She though, incredulous-ness slipping into her thoughts.

"Well, anyone who's told you that was absolutely right," Ian said, scoffing slightly and looking down at the polished white floor. Amy realized he was talking about her worrying. She frowned, about to say something, but Ian looked up suddenly and said her name. "Amy..." Ian looked like he was going to say more, and his hand lifted- for a moment, Amy swore he was going to touch her. But at the last second, Ian's fingers glided through his own hair.

Amy forgot all about suggesting that they get going. She sat frozen on the bench, unmoving except for her still-swinging legs, wondering what this encounter was really supposed to be. And why was Ian here? As in, America? As in, Attleboro? Would he even be staying at the Cahill house? And if so, for how long...?

"Why are you kicking your feet like that?" Ian asked, knocking Amy out of her thoughts yet again. She stopped immediately, feeling embarrassed even at such a small thing.

"I don't know," She answered him truthfully.

Ian frowned slightly.

"Amy, you know why I came here, don't you? Why I really came?" Ian asked. He put great emphasis on the word 'really'. He looked at her meaningfully. Amy opened her mouth but no words came out; slight frustration set in at the pit of her stomach when she couldn't get her voice to work. Ian waited, almost patiently, even, but seconds ticked by and Ian's frown deepened. Amy's heart was beating a mile a second, and she felt trapped, unable to find a suitable thing to say and felt quite unable to leave. "There's more," Ian said, finally, looking at Amy intently. His frown disappeared, but he wasn't exactly smiling, either. He looked quite concentrated, as if he didn't want to make a mistake with his words. Amy's heart flipped in her chest. "More than what I said on Skype."

Amy watched Ian raise his hand again, towards her. He'll just run his fingers through his hair, Amy thought, and oddly, thinking that was somehow disappointing. For some reason, Amy's head slowed everything down- it felt like minutes to her instead of seconds, this simple action of him reaching up to touch his hair. But this time he wasn't. Ian's fingers carefully brushed Amy's bangs out of her eyes.

The feeling of his fingers against her skin.

Amy felt tingles shoot up her spine, and she imagined her face was getting to a carnation shade of pink right about now. Or maybe even more pink then that.

"W-w-what-" Amy started, but Ian cut her off, which might have been just as well, because Amy tended not to know what to say in this kind of... Situation, despite her stuttering. (Which annoyingly only happened around Ian.)

"I like you, Amy Cahill." Ian said quietly, eyes flashing. He paused, and then let out a huge sigh, visibly relaxing somewhat. "Well, THAT was hard to say." Ian said. He leaned back and studied Amy's face. "I think I had to tell you that."

Now it was maybe like reverse blushing- and this was definitely new- but Amy felt like all the color was draining from her face. Now she wondered if she looked pale, like a snowflake, or a... A girl in shock.

The things Ian had said over the Skype call and the things he was saying now began to pile up in Amy's head- a big pile of Ian-quotes that Amy didn't understand. In all honesty, I haven't had enough time to figure anything out from the Skype call the other night! Amy thought frantically. It was looking like all of these confusing things he was saying were just going to keep adding up, and the time she was given to try to make sense of them seemed to be getting shorter and shorter.

I like you.

"Are you dense, Amy?" Ian said, rather impatiently. If Amy hadn't been so stuck in her confusion she might have wondered how he could do that- go from being so gentle to so sour in a matter of seconds. "I wouldn't have guessed you to be," Ian continued, "-but you seem a little slow-to-react today."

Amy's face grew a frown. "Hey!" She said in objection, struggling to control her emotions (which she didn't even understand). "I'm just trying to... Think."

"About what?" He said, and Amy's frown turned to a full-out scowl. Ian rolled his eyes. "You act like no one has ever told you that they... Liked you. Granted, I'M surprised, too, but..." Ian didn't really finish the thought, his eyes searching Amy's, and he kind of made that switch again- that maddening one of sour and sweet.

"Maybe no one ever has," Amy said softly, feeling embarrassed right down to the soles of her shoes. "I'm not exactly the most exciting fish in the sea." She heard Ian laugh- she wouldn't look at him- and it stung. She inched away from him as much as she could. Why is this a two person bench? Amy thought, annoyed. And then she realized Ian wasn't really laughing in a mean way. Her fingers tingled.

"No one?" Ian said. "Ever?" Amy winced. He had to drive it home, didn't he? Amy's hair fell back into her face, but she made no attempt to move it. The less he can see of my face, the better, she thought, becoming more humiliated. Ian scoffed quietly. "'Not the most exciting fish in the sea'. That's completely ridiculous- you're not a fish at all."

Amy was so surprised that she did indeed look at him. She hadn't been expecting that. "Ian, that was a terrible joke," She said.

"I know," he replied. And Amy was surprised to find herself laughing. A joke, from the great Ian Kabra. He laughed too, and delight bubbled up inside of her like fizzy soda. Their laughter quieted, and Amy smiled at him shyly. It must have been a big deal, she figured. For him to joke like that. "No, but seriously, Amy. You're not the most 'exciting'?" Ian asked, and he even made air quotes with his fingers. "That's the reason people don't fall for you?"

That term made Amy completely uncomfortable- fall for you. "Well, yes." Amy said after a moment of hesitation. "I think. I don't really... Want any attention. It's not important. I-I don't want guys to like me. They wouldn't, anyway. Even if I dressed up for them." The pink was flooding back to Amy's cheek now, the surprised pale whiteness all gone. "Why are we talking about this?" Amy asked, eyes wide and shaking her head. A bit of desperation had crept into her voice.

"Because it's interesting." Ian said. INTERESTING? Amy thought. "But there's another, much more important matter on hand, I think." He waited, as if Amy might raise her hand and guess, but of course she was too flustered to reply and wouldn't have done such a thing anyway. So he went on. "The matter of... If you might possibly... Return the feelings I have for you."

That was new.

Amy could feel her heart stop in her chest. Or at least, it felt that way. There were so many emotions she could see in Ian's eyes that she'd never really found there before. Hesitation, doubt. A lot of doubt, actually. And some hurt. Feelings bloomed like flowers inside of her, and confusion swept her up and away, stealing her chance at words yet again. A few seconds had ticked on past.

Ian coughed.

"And if you don't, you'd better say it now." He said, and there was even a tiny bit of awkwardness (most surprising of all, so far) as he continued, "So, do you?"

Better say it now. That she didn't like him.

"I d-d-don't know." Amy said, because she felt that she didn't. Her voice was so quiet that she wasn't even sure he'd heard her. But he had.

"Well then. You'll just have to... Decide."

Ian moved just a little bit closer, and before Amy could even really react, his hand moving up to brush the hair out of her eyes a second time. His fingers didn't move away, though, when he could see her eyes. Instead, they rested lightly against her cheek, carefully, as if she might be quite fragile, even though she wasn't.

And then he kissed her.

Amy's head was bent on one thought: This is IAN KABRA.

She felt it now, all the feelings she'd been so 'dense' about before- she'd been so surprised that he might feel anything for her that it really hadn't even properly registered in her head. But yeah, she felt it now. That Ian liked her. He LIKED her. She was embarrassed that it took an actual kiss for her to figure that out. And he liked her a lot, actually, she thought, because she could feel it in the way he looked at her, talked to her.

Kissed her.

She could feel it and she could feel herself feeling it- that she liked him, too, and it hurt to admit, for some reason. But it also felt kind of nice.

Amy had always assumed Ian had kissed a lot of girls (...not that she'd ever given the subject thought...) and now she was definitely sure she was right because he sure seemed like he knew what he was doing. She, on the other hand, had NO IDEA how to kiss someone and she realized that while she was kissing him. Nervousness sparked in her stomach.

Slow down, Amy, she thought as words and feelings and fragments of thoughts blew through her mind like tumbleweeds through a desert. So she did slow down. She sort of let go and fell into it- the kiss- and it felt SO much nicer than she could ever even explain. He was warm and he smelled nice, and somewhere in her head she realized why she liked the kiss so much- because he was sort of holding back.

Amy could feel the hesitation she'd seen before in his eyes. Like he was asking for permission, or he was scared she didn't want to kiss him. He was holding back, in case she wanted to pull away. In case she wasn't ready to kiss him; in case she'd never be ready to kiss him.

That was so... Gentlemanly, Amy thought. That hesitation. I definitely want to kiss him, she decided to herself, and if her face had been carnation before it was just hot pink now, or maybe even scarlet. In any case she was blushing like mad.

He pulled away. Far too quickly, Amy thought somewhere in the back of her mind, her cheeks flaming.

For a moment, his eyes were closed, like in thought. But his eyes slowly opened and Amy wished he had kept them closed, because they were so brilliant, especially up close. So completely unnerving. "How do you feel now?" He asked her carefully, and Amy felt sparks zipping up and down her spine. If I told you how I felt, Amy thought, I'd say I feel... Embarrassed. Unsure of anything. I'd say I felt absolutely shocked that you were my very first kiss.

And that I was glad you were.

But instead, she said, "I think..." She paused. Then she had to ask, "Do y-you REALLY like me, I-Ian?" Ian laughed again, like he had before.

He likes me.

Amy took a deep breath. "I think I like you back." She said, and her voice was quite quiet again, but she didn't falter. Amy awaited a reaction.

He smiled grandly.

Much of the tiredness left his face and he looked ridiculously happy for a microsecond. "Really?" He asked as his expression died down to just a grin. Amy's heart skipped a beat or four, and she smiled shyly and gave the slightest nod of her head. It's funny how tables turn, Amy thought. How I was asking him really and now he's asking me.

Wordlessly, as if they had discussed it- though they hadn't- Amy and Ian left the airport and went to the car. Amy could feel Ian's eyes on her, making her feel self conscious, but she didn't return the gazes; she wasn't sure she could just yet. She was still taking it all in. She needed a little bit of time to... Adjust to this. Whatever 'this' happened to turn out to be.

As Amy had predicted, Nellie was so wrapped up in her music that she actually looked surprised when Amy opened the door to Nellie's van and got inside, as if she'd forgotten where she was and what she was doing.

"Oh, hey, kiddo." Nellie said. Looking somewhat sad to be doing so, she turned her iPod off and wrapped the earphones she'd been using around it. Nellie glanced at the clock, her eyes widening. "What took so long, Amy?" She exclaimed. Outside the van, Ian threw his one piece of luggage in the trunk. Amy sighed and watched him as he came around to get into the car.

"Really bad flight delay," Amy lied, totally unable to put into words what had really happened. Besides, there really had been a delay. That part wasn't a lie.

Ian got into the huge car; after a moment of looking slightly displeased at it, he shut the door and gave a slight nod as a greeting to Nellie. Then he sat down in the seat next to Amy.

Amy's face started to heat up. Does he have to sit next to ME? She thought. There are two completely empty rows! But secretly, she felt happiness creeping into her thoughts. In the driver's mirror, Nellie's eyes gave Amy a questioning look. She shrugged, embarrassed.

No one spoke for a long time, and Amy and Ian's gazes were both directed out different windows. After about 20 minutes of driving, Amy couldn't take staring at the lovely scenery of the highway anymore; she glanced at Ian, wondering if she should try to talk to him. He looked at her, too, and smiled, making her feel like her stomach was inside out. Then he made it worse, grabbing her hand in his and settling down into his seat. For a terrifying moment, she thought he might kiss her again.

"I'm tired," He murmured instead, as Amy's face was flushing. His eyelids closed slowly.

In a few minutes, he was asleep.

I guess he was still tired from missing sleep, Amy thought. She still couldn't believe that she'd been the cause of that. Or lack of her, for that matter. Her hand fit nicely in his. Amy cleared her thoughts, breathing in deeply. Looking at Ian... She felt complications. Much of the past came up in her thoughts, and, truthfully, there was fear there, too. Could she ever get over the past? Had Ian changed since then? Whatever was going to happen with her and Ian... It didn't seem like it'd be easy. Amy knew herself that she'd find it hard to... Be with him. But seeing Ian asleep like that, holding her hand, Amy could feel her heart stirring in her chest.

I'll give it a try, she promised to herself, her face still slightly pink. She was glad he was asleep while she collected her thoughts.

Amy relaxed in her seat, her own eyes closing. I think it's going to turn out alright, she thought to herself, and that thought was actually comforting. Amy slowly slipped into sleep, her hand still entwined with Ian's.

She'd missed him.

**~The End~**


End file.
